Several business initiatives are shining a light on future development in Medford and, in particular, the downtown core, which is a welcome sign that the commerce hub of the Rogue Valley is healthy and growing.

With numerous hotel projects already in the works that would add 500 rooms throughout town, a preliminary study shows a massive convention center and high-rise hotel in downtown Medford could compete with Portland and Sacramento markets.

Hunden Partners, a real estate consulting firm, noted in the study Medford has the potential to attract conferences with 500-plus attendees, partly because it offers a more cost-effective alternative to larger cities. Medford’s airport offers access to major Pacific Northwest cities, the study pointed out, and its location along Interstate 5 “positions it as an appealing destination for regional and statewide groups.”

It’s interesting to note the Hunden study found that “safety concerns” in Portland have already pushed event organizers to other cities.

The preliminary findings were requested by the city of Medford and are the first of a three-part, $60,000 study that will ultimately propose possible locations in downtown Medford, as well as costs to build the facility and ways to finance it, likely through a public/private partnership.

Hunden offered two proposed convention ideas, one being a center that could host more than 1,500 attendees with an attached hotel, and a more scaled-down option that would also feature a smaller hotel but could still host more than 1,000 attendees.

Meanwhile, a proposed Element by Westin 123-room hotel smack dab in downtown Medford off Fourth Street is scheduled to break ground in spring 2025, near the Lithia & Driveway building adjacent to Pear Blossom Park. Also in the works are two hotels near Barnett Road, and a third near the Medford airport. Together, the four hotels would add 481 rooms to the current 2,636 rooms available at Medford hotels, representing an 18% increase.

“People sometimes say, ‘Wow, all these hotels. Is there room for more?’” Colleen Padilla, executive director of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development Inc., told the Rogue Valley Times in April.

She and other local travel and business experts say there is, in fact, sufficient demand, as well as sufficient regional attractions, to justify the interest in new hotels.

Padilla noted that before investing millions of dollars into a hotel, companies conduct their own economic feasibility studies to gauge demand. “They deem that there is room in the market,” she said.

All this adds up to a potential big boost for drawing people to the Rogue Valley, and it comes at a time when the Downtown Medford Association is looking to form an economic district to promote the city center.

A four-month, $26,000 study by Civitas showed at least 50% of property owners supported such a district. DMA recently released proposed boundaries at a Medford City Council meeting, showing the district would encompass some 178 different properties in an area bounded by Sixth Street to the north, Eighth Street to the south, Oakdale Avenue to the west and Bear Creek to the east. Main Street would be the backbone of the proposed district.

“It has shown promising support,” said EJ McManus, president of the association. While there were some questions over the smaller size of the proposed district — which could exclude bigger employers like restaurants — association members have said they’d rather start small and see how things go.

“We didn’t want to go from zero to 100 right away,” McManus told city councilors. “We want this to be successful. We’re not married to the current 178 properties.”

While the hotel projects break ground or prepare to start next year, the studies into the convention center and the economic district will take more time. We urge residents and business owners to take a complete look at these proposals to see if they are the right fit at the right time, and we hope city and business leaders make their case effectively for what could turn out to be a significant boost for tourism and commerce in the heart of the Rogue Valley.